Conventionally, water balloons or water bombs are in the form of a latex rubber balloon filled with a sealed volume of water. A feature of such conventional water balloons is that once they hit a target the force of the impact causes the latex rubber body to break, thereby causing the volume of water to escape and to wet the target. As a result, the act involving the throwing of such water balloons at targets, which many times are people, results in wetting the target and is the source of entertainment and fun, and a field of such play has evolved around water balloons.
As noted, water balloons are typically thrown or lobbed by a user at an intended target. Because water balloons, by nature, have an amorphous and changing shape, it is often difficult to accurately aim and throw a water balloon a particular distance and actually hit an intended target. This difficulty is compounded by the fact that the act of throwing the water balloon alone can cause the latex rubber body or skin to break as a result of the force of acceleration by the throwing source, e.g., a person's hand. This effect, along with the unlikelihood of accurately aiming and launching the water balloon, is more likely to occur when the intended target is located a distance outside of one's throwing range.
Various devices have been developed to allow a user to lobby water balloons at greater distances and hit the intended target at greater accuracy. One such device is a water balloon sling shot, which typically comprises a soft pocket in which the water balloon is placed, and an elastomeric material on either sides of the pocket. The Y-shaped frame, typical of the traditional slingshots, is usually omitted so as to accommodate a variety of water balloon shapes and sizes. As a result, the operation of a water balloon slingshot may require up to three people to launch a balloon, with two people holding the two ends of the elastomeric material, and one person to retract the pocket and water balloon into a launching position.
Accordingly, there exists a need to develop a device capable of launching a water balloon that will avoid the undesired effects noted above, while also enabling operation by single person.